Discover the Hidden Nightlife of West Midlands in Shaun Morris’s Art Show

A new art exhibition called Autofictions is opening soon at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry. The artist behind the show is Shaun Morris, who is based in Birmingham. The exhibition will run from March 2 to March 14, 2026, and will feature 15 oil paintings that Shaun has created over the past ten years. His paintings focus on everyday places in the West Midlands, such as truck stops, high streets, parks, and motorway underpasses. These are places that people usually pass by but do not often visit on purpose.

Shaun Morris grew up in the Black Country, an area that used to have many factories. In the 1970s and 1980s, many of these factories closed down, and the land was left empty. This change in the landscape inspired Shaun to paint these spaces. He says his art is based on what he sees in his community. Many of his paintings show these places at night, lit by streetlights or the glow from nearby buildings. Shaun says, 'These are the places I know. At night, things look different and more mysterious. I like the quiet feeling. '

One of his paintings, called A Minor Place, shows stacks of crates under a motorway flyover against a dark sky. He also painted a series of five parked post office vans, using photos he took at night. Shaun's work is inspired by the book Edgelands, which talks about overlooked places like business parks and landfill sites. The exhibition also includes paintings of parks, such as The Others, which shows caravans on open land. Another painting shows people standing in a circle under trees. Shaun says he wants viewers to make up their own stories when they look at his art. The exhibition is part of the museum's 2026 program and will be open to everyone during regular gallery hours.